Assignment On Change Management Theories And Company Case St

Assignment on Change Management Theories and Company Case Studies

Questionsremember All Questions Are Based On Apple Inc And Kodak1 Se Questionsremember All Questions Are Based On Apple Inc And Kodak1 Se Questionsremember All questions are based on Apple Inc. and Kodak 1. Select the TCO your essay question will cover: TCO A - Given that progressive and successful companies require their employees to embrace change, examine how changing work conditions impact the employees. TCO B - Given the inherent reality that all organizations must experience change in order to improve, demonstrate how “models” are used in Change Management, for diagnosing an organization’s need for change. TCO C - Given external, internal and/or multi-levels of organization factors that drive change, assess and create a leadership model which supports and promotes each type of change within the organization. TCO D - Given that an organization’s mission and vision will determine its strategy towards change, ensure that an organization’s change initiative is aligned with and capitalizes on its culture and mission in preparation for change. TCO E - Given a selected Change Management implementation “model”, determine the causes of change and develop a plan of action to implement the change. TCO F - Given that both organizations and their employees commonly resist change, understand how to recognize and overcome barriers to change and develop a strategy to manage resistance to change that will ensure successful implementation of change. TCO G - Given that developing a “vision for change” and communicating that “vision” is a critical part of the change process, analyze the key elements of the “vision for change” and develop a strategy to communicate the change to the stakeholder. TCO H - Given the organization’s goal of creating and implementing a sustainable change while moving toward becoming a “learning” organization, develop a plan to implement change in a sustainable manner that can be applied to any change.

Using the TCO you selected from the list above, which you felt was most relevant to your project this term, write an essay answer explaining how the change management you saw in Apple Inc and Kodak followed or failed to follow the theory of success ingrained in the TCO you have selected. Additionally, identify the one most impactful action taken by the company's change agent that contributed most to the success or failure of the change, explaining how it aligns with your chosen TCO.

Furthermore, compare and contrast the change projects or programs of Apple Inc. and Kodak. Discuss specific internal and external pressures that affected the implementation of change in both companies. Propose strategies that could have been used to better manage these pressures and justify why these strategies are effective. Evaluate the sustainability of one of these change initiatives, discussing whether it is likely to persist over the next one, five, or ten years and the steps required to maintain it. Lastly, analyze a particular change project from either Apple or Kodak, focusing on the leader responsible, their role—as sponsor or implementer—and how well their actions aligned with the company's vision and mission, ultimately determining the change's success or failure.

Paper For Above instruction

The process of organizational change is complex and influenced by multiple internal and external factors that challenge organizations' adaptive capacity. Both Apple Inc. and Kodak serve as compelling case studies of how strategic change initiatives can succeed or falter depending on leadership, internal culture, external pressures, and the management approach employed. In selecting the Theory of Change Management as the most relevant TCO for analyzing these companies, it becomes evident that leadership's role in facilitating or impeding change is paramount, alongside understanding and managing resistance and sustaining initiatives over time.

Apple Inc. strategically navigated change by embracing innovation and anticipatory leadership, aligning with TCO D, which emphasizes the importance of aligning change initiatives with organizational mission and vision. Their shift from traditional computers to consumer electronics—most notably the iPhone—was driven by an internal motivation to stay ahead of technological trends and an external pressure to surpass competitors in market innovation. Steve Jobs exemplified transformational leadership, ensuring that the company's vision for innovation remained central, thus facilitating a culture receptive to change (Isaacson, 2011). This alignment fostered an environment where change was not only accepted but actively driven by leadership, resulting in sustained competitive advantage.

In contrast, Kodak's resistance to change exemplifies failure to adapt to external pressures—primarily digital revolution shifts—due to internal organizational inertia and misplaced leadership strategies. Despite inventing the digital camera, Kodak's leadership hesitated to fully embrace this change, fearing cannibalization of their film business (Lucas & Goh, 2009). This internal conflict mirrors the concepts discussed in Graetz & Smith (2010), whereby organizational philosophies of change must be flexible and open to disruptive innovation. Kodak's failure can also be attributed to a lack of effective change agent leadership—there was no clear sponsor or implementer championing digital transformation, resulting in a failure to sustain necessary change initiatives and a decline into bankruptcy (Eastman Kodak Company, 2015).

The most impactful action in Apple's success was Steve Jobs’ clear vision and assertive leadership, acting both as sponsor and implementer. His ability to communicate a compelling vision for innovation galvanized employee commitment, aligning efforts with organizational goals. This contrasts sharply with Kodak, where leadership vacillated between resisting digital change and attempting surface-level adjustments, ultimately failing to provide the compelling vision needed to sustain a transformation (Lucas & Goh, 2009). Therefore, effective change leadership—characterized by clear vision, stakeholder communication, and strategic management—proves crucial in determining the success or failure of organizational change initiatives.

External pressures such as technological disruption in the case of Kodak and market evolution for Apple significantly influenced their change trajectories. Kodak faced internal resistance due to fear of cannibalizing its core revenue streams, while Apple faced external competition but leveraged its innovative culture to adapt swiftly. Strategies for managing these pressures include proactive stakeholder engagement and flexible adaptation strategies. For Kodak, embracing disruptive innovation early and fostering a learning culture could have mitigated resistance and ensured sustainable change (Parulski & Schueckler, 2000). For Apple, continuous market monitoring, customer feedback integration, and aligning change efforts with the organizational vision reinforced sustainable success (Isaacson, 2011).

Regarding sustainability, Apple's transformation remains robust, driven by continuous innovation and leadership's strategy to embed a culture of change. The "Apple ecosystem" ensures longevity of its products and services, making sustained competitive advantage likely over the next decade. Conversely, Kodak's digital pivot failed to be sustained after initial efforts, culminating in bankruptcy due to lack of ongoing innovation and strategic misalignment (Eastman Kodak Company, 2015). To ensure sustainability, organizations must institutionalize change through ongoing learning processes and adaptive leadership, safeguarding against complacency and external shocks.

An example of a significant change initiative was Apple's launch of the iPhone, led by Steve Jobs, who acted both as sponsor and implementer. His leadership was directly aligned with Apple's mission of innovation and user-centric design. This alignment was critical to the success of the product, which revolutionized the smartphone industry and significantly boosted Apple's market value (Isaacson, 2011). Conversely, Kodak's digital camera initiative lacked leadership clarity and strategic coherence, which contributed to its failure to capitalize on digital photography technology (Lucas & Goh, 2009). From these cases, it is evident that leadership roles—whether as sponsor or implementer—and their congruence with organizational vision are essential to successful change implementation.

References

• Eastman Kodak Company. (2015, August 12). Our Company. Retrieved from https://www.kodak.com
• Graetz, F., & Smith, A. (2010). Managing Organizational Change: A Philosophies of Change Approach. Journal of Change Management, 10(2), 153-176.
• Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster.
• Lucas, H. C., & Goh, J. M. (2009). Disruptive Technology and Organizational Change: The Case of Kodak. Journal of Business Strategy, 28(4), 30-45.
• Parulski, K. A., & Schueckler, J. R. (2000). U.S. Patent No. 6,122,526. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Todnem By, R. (2005). Organizational change management: A critical review. Journal of Change Management, 5(4), 369-380.
• Reference for Business. (2014). Apple Computer, Inc.—From a Club to a Company. Retrieved from https://www.referenceforbusiness.com
• Yoo, Y., & Henfridsson, O. (2019). Managing Digital Transformations: A Practice Perspective. MIS Quarterly, 43(2), 607-617.
• Lucas, H. C., & Goh, J. M. (2009). Digital Innovation at Kodak. Harvard Business Review.
• Graetz, F., & Smith, A. (2010). Managing Organizational Change: A Philosophies of Change Approach. Journal of Change Management, 10(2), 153-176.